7-Data Card Recovery 1.6

Overview

7-Data Card Recovery software package is primarily aimed at recovering data from SD cards, SDHC and MicroSD cards, but it also supports CF cards, plus local drives and USB drives where images have been stored as well. Video files can also sometimes be recovered as well. Storage cards can be accessed on digital devices where a SD card is installed (so the iPhone is not supported). Where files can become corrupted is when a file wasn't fully saved because the battery on a camera died before the saving procedure could be completed successfully. In this case, it is sometimes possible to recover image data and fix the image file container.

Installation

The installation runs smoothly for 7-Data Card Recovery. Only 5.1 MB is needed for the installation. There is a warning to avoid installing the application to the same drive as the one you wish to recover files from. A desktop icon can then be setup. The web browser is launched to load up GetFireshot web site which seems like a cross-promotional opportunity for the software company here. No malicious software was added to the PC.

Interface

The interface will scan the system and display the devices or external USB connected media that it can access. So any external USB drives, digital cameras and the like will mostly appear here. A Show local drives button in the toolbar will include local hard drives in the list of devices. Each device displays its storage capacity. There is also an Advanced Settings button which allows the user to recover RAW files in several ways from local drives.

Once a location is selected, that data source is displayed in the left pane as a folder tree. Image thumbnails are shown in the right pane with their image name and file size. Each one has a small checkbox to individually select images to work on. The main toolbar at the top includes options to Search files, Find Files, Thumbnails (to toggle the aforementioned thumbnail display on/off), Up (to move up one parent folder), Select All, and Deselect All.

The Save button in the bottom right area is the one to press to work on recovering files that have been marked with a checkbox.

Pros

• Flexible image recovery package that works with Sony cards, SD cards, memory cards, USB flash drives and USB drives, and local drives.
• Save lost, deleted or corrupted files
• Repair corrupted image files that didn't save correctly the first time
• Pull data out of card storage which is starting to lose data integrity
• Supports Secure Digital card, SDHC, SD card, miniSD, MicroSD cards
• Supports Compact Flash card, CF Type I, Type II, MicroDrive, CF cards

Cons

• Thumbnails are a little on the small size.

Conclusion

7-Data Card Recovery is a good software package to recover image data from various card storage, USB flash drive, USB hard drive, and local drives too. Corrupted image files can be repaired. Deleted or lost image files can be recovered too. The tool is useful for avid photographers and amateurs alike who occasionally run into problems retrieving their travel photos.